Expert: Jason Grabill - 3/26/2007

Question
QUESTION: Okay.  Thank you so much.  You have really helped me out with my decisions.  But I have a couple more questions.  1.) Once he is done with his m.o.s. schooling, Will i be able to move in with him ON BASE, or just overall are you saying when he is done with his schooling, yes we are allowed to live with eachother either on base or off-base?  2.) When i move out there, i had planned to get an apartment, and he said he would use half the money he gets in allowances to pay for my apartment.  Is that even possible?
3.) Do I get any monthly allowance for us being married even though i do not live on base with him.  Saying that I got my apartment out in California?
4.) You said he was eligable to apply for housing when he gets to his first duty station.  Does that mean that he doesn't live in a house on base during m.o.s.
5.) Okay last one, while he is in m.o.s. school, are there certain times that classes run, and after he gets out of class would he be able to leave to come to my apartment and hang out for a few hours then be back at a certain time at night to his house?  
Thank you for your time.  I really do appriciate it!
-tifany

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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hi.  My name is Tiffany.  My fiance is getting ready to graduate from bootcamp for the Marines on March 30th.  We are getting married on his 10 day leave.  I am graduating from high school in June and wanting to move out to twentynine palms with him.  He is going to study computers, and if we are married, when I graduate, will I be able to move out there with him and live on base with him?  If not, what about after his m.o.s. schooling.  Would I be able to live on base with him then.  Also, I read somewhere that he has the choice of living off base with his wife.  Is he allowed to live off-base with me while he is in m.o.s. school or does he have to be done with his m.o.s. before he can live off-base.  I am so confused about all of this.  thank you for your time.
-----Answer-----
Tiffany:

 No, you will not be able to live with him when he is in his MOS school.  He will be eligible to apply for base housing once he gets to his first duty station.  Sometimes, you can get that right away, at other times, it will be a wait of anywhere from a month to 18 months.

 Once you are married, yes, you can live together, off base, in off post housing, where you basically just rent or buy a house like anyone else not in the military would.  The military will pay some of those costs through the Basic Allowance for Housing, or BAH.  You may continue to live off post and not accept military housing, or accept military housing, that choice will be up to you.

 He will not be allowed to live off post while in MOS School.

 Best regards,

Jason
ANSWER: Tiffany:

 My answers follow your questions:

 1.) Once he is done with his m.o.s. schooling, Will i be able to move in with him ON BASE, or just overall are you saying when he is done with his schooling, yes we are allowed to live with eachother either on base or off-base?

You have to be married to put in for family housing.  That is on base.  You don't have to be married to live together off base, but he won't get any extra money (BAH) for that, either.  When he checks into his new, permanant duty station, they will ask if he is married, if he is, they will send him to the housing office to apply for base housing (even if he doesn't want it, he'll have to check in with them).



2.) When i move out there, i had planned to get an apartment, and he said he would use half the money he gets in allowances to pay for my apartment.  Is that even possible?

Yes.  But only after his MOS school.  During MOS school, because he'll be living in the barracks, he won't draw BAH for being married.


3.) Do I get any monthly allowance for us being married even though i do not live on base with him.  Saying that I got my apartment out in California?

No.  You won't get a dime, the money will be all his, deposited into his account.  He will get BAH based on where he is stationed AFTER his MOS school.  That amount will depend on the local economy in the area.  That money will not start until he reaches the new duty station.  


4.) You said he was eligable to apply for housing when he gets to his first duty station.  Does that mean that he doesn't live in a house on base during m.o.s.

Correct.  He will live in the barracks.  He doesn't rate housing as a student in MOS school, and will be highly discouraged in bringing you out there, even if you are married.  You won't see him much even if you do go, so my best advice is to wait it out and join him at the first duty station.


5.) Okay last one, while he is in m.o.s. school, are there certain times that classes run, and after he gets out of class would he be able to leave to come to my apartment and hang out for a few hours then be back at a certain time at night to his house?  

Technically, yes, but I would NOT advise this course of action.  He needs to keep his mind on graduating from MOS school, not hanging out with you.  If I was his Sergeant, he would have very little, if any, off base time at night, because he will need to study, help clean the barracks, pull watchstander duties, etc.  That will leave him very little time to spend with you.  I would discourage you from going out there while he is in MOS school, because you won't see him as much as you think you will, and you'll be bored and miserable, which will cause him to lose concentration on his school, and give him problems.  Don't do it.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My fiance wants to sign up for Recruiter's assistant when he gets home after graduation.  What qualifications are there for that, and what exactly is it.  He talked about being able to do it right after boot camp and m.o.s. school.  What is the additional length he would get to stick around before he flys back to where he is stationed or does it depend?

Answer
He will have to talk to his recruiter about signing up.  Also, signing up for this could easily screw up his school date, so they may not allow it.  It's usually done right after Recruit Training.  The Recruiter will have to coordinate it, have him see him when he returns.  The time period is usually about 15 days.